


The Honest Liar

by IINightshadeII



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Humor, Dragon Age: Inquisition - Freeform, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Humor, Multi, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-07 00:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4241658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IINightshadeII/pseuds/IINightshadeII
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the tales storytellers spin to audiences about the Inquisitor were wrong? Imagine if the songs sung by bards about the Inquisitor were slightly exaggerated. They left out the not-so-good-sounding parts and replaced them with things that would make the Inquisitor shine in the eyes of the people. Imagine if she was just a commoner in the beginning, or worse... a killer. Alexandra, an Antivan Crow, and her brother Luis were both hired to kill Divine Justinia. Little did Alex know that failing to kill the Divine would change her life forever. This is the untold story of how Inquisitor Alexandra came to be. The good, the bad, and the just plain horrible. Join Alexandra on her journey to save not just herself, but all of Thedas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Well, Shit

I stood in the mirror looking over my appearance once more. My long black hair was pinned and neatly done in a way that would even make an Orlesian stylist gasp in pleasure. I was dressed in a long flowing blue dress laced with gold embroidery with the Trevelyan house symbol stitched into my sleeve. As childish as it was, I did a quick spin in the mirror marveling at the way the dress spun with me. I could barely recognize the hazel eyes that stared back at me.

"Let's go over it again." I heard my brother Luis say from behind me breaking me out of my reverie. "What is your name?" He asked.

"My name is Alexandra Trevelyan, daughter of Bann Trevelyan of Ostwick." I said while switching my Antivan accent to one of a Free Marcher never once removing my eyes from my reflection in the mirror.

"And why are you here? Why did you come to the Conclave?" I turned then, staring him in the eye coolly.

"I am here to observe the proceedings within the Conclave. My family is very religious and would like me to take notes for them." I responded.

"You're good." Luis said giving me a brotherly slap on the back.

"But not good enough!" A voice said from within a nearby closet. "There's no way anyone will believe that!" The voice said again.

"So you put Evelyn in the closet?" I asked my brother, completely ignoring the woman's outburst.

"Well we can't have her complicating things now can we?" Luis asked while flashing me a toothy grin. I just smiled in return. I could already tell that this was going to be interesting. After one last look in the mirror we both slipped out of Evelyn's cabin, careful not to be seen together, and went our separate ways. I glided through Haven with a certain grace that could only be described as cat-like. I had a job to do and it was very important to not draw unwanted eyes toward oneself. I remembered to keep Luis within my peripheral vision. He was to go in through the back door of the Temple of Sacred Ashes while I slipped through the front dressed as just another noble. After Luis stepped around back I waited a few moments before heading towards the front door. Once through the front door I slipped into a crowd of people who were marveling at artwork as to be less noticeable. Big was certainly an understatement when asked to describe the temple. The main chamber of the Temple was filled with depictions of the Maker and his children. How they could even fit that many statues in one room I had no idea. The ceiling was painted with a mural describing the story of Andraste and there was even a painting of the Exalted March. There was a painting of the first Templar order making them look strong and intimidating at the same time. You could see a depiction of the first Circle of Magi and the forlorn faces of the mages standing outside of it. It was all rather intimidating. Here I was an assassin in one of the holiest places in all of Thedas. The Maker sure had a cruel sense of humor I thought slightly amused. Brushing away my thoughts I started to scan the immediate area. Looking around I could see that thousands of people decided to attend the Divine's Conclave. I saw the glittered and perfumed bodies of Orlesians, the exotic faces of the Rivaini, and the stern stoic faces of the Anderfels. There were also Antivans, Fereldens, Free Marchers, and a handful of Nevarrans. People from all corners of Thedas, save Tevinter, were in attendance. I watched as Templar and Mage alike sat and looked to the podium where Divine Justinia would no doubt be addressing them. The whole ordeal was rather tense, I’m sure that if I took out my dagger right now I could slice right through the air. The discomfort was visible from the strained faces, gritted teeth, and knitted eyebrows that made up the Mage's and Templar's faces. Even so it was still no small feat to have the two groups within the same room without blood spilling. Disregarding the politics that would likely soon unfold, I weaved my way through the crowd until I was at the opening of a narrow hallway that would lead away from the festivities. Taking one quick glance over my shoulder to be sure that I wasn’t followed I began the search for my target. I looked through what seemed like every single room and just when I was about to give up and find Luis that's when I heard it. A scream. Completely forgetting the job at hand I ran towards the cry for help.

"Help me!" A woman yelled. Wait a woman? Rushing into the room, I was hit with a blinding green light.

"What's going on here!?" I called out to no one in particular. I scanned the room for a threat and finally my eyes landed on some sort of creature. It was holding up a woman dressed in the attire of the Chantry. She was wearing a large headdress and- ”Oh Shit” I said upon realization. It was the Divine! The creature I saw when I came in was pouring some kind of strange green magic into her. That does not look good. There were Grey Warden mages there too murmuring some sort of incantation. Before I could process what was going on another flash of green blinded me. I heard what seemed like a struggle and a glowing green orb rolled up next to me. Without thinking I picked it up and the piercing green light seemed to glow anew. I was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. The pain in the hand where I was holding the orb was searing. I tried to focus my attention on the Divine and her well-being having forgotten all about her, but just as I was about to go to her that's when it happened. There was an explosion and it was so loud it could only be described as head-splitting. I was suddenly encased in a bright white light. "If this is the infamous “white light” you see when you die I want a do-over!" I yelled to what I thought was the Maker. But only I wasn't dead, I was running or rather being dragged by a running Divine Justinia.

"Can you stand?" She asked. I just nodded and with that we began to run again. I was about to ask what we were running from but that's when I saw a horde of giant spiders coming after us. We climbed what seemed like a mountain where some sort of green portal awaited us. I stole a quick glance over my shoulder and saw that the spiders were quickly catching up. They were spitting an acidic green liquid that I assumed was a poison.

“Andraste’s tits, spiders.” I cursed, completely forgetting that I was in the presence of the Divine. The Divine, being calm for the both of us, just squeezed my shoulder in what I thought was reassurance. That was until I was pushed towards the bright green portal.

"Go!" She yelled to me.

"Not without you. Please, don't do this." I pleaded. I had no idea why I was pleading with the same woman who if circumstances were different would be lying in a pool of her own blood right about now with my dagger in her chest, but it just felt like the right thing to do.

"Go." She said softer this time. Before I could protest she was no where to be seen and the spiders were rushing towards me again. I jumped through the portal all the while regretting not saving Justinia.

 

* * *

My head felt like it was going to explode, my body ached in places that I didn't know could ache, and my vision was blurry. I was no longer in my dress either. I was wearing a lightweight armor built for no specific class. An armor that many wore when they were not sure whether to wield a maul, daggers, or sword and shield. All of this seemed to be of no concern to my captor as she continuously yelled in my face asking me questions that I had barely even heard. She was adorned in armor with a great sword strapped to her hip. The Chantry's symbols were engraved into her uniform and upon further inspection so was the Seeker of Truth's symbols. Ah she must be The Right Hand of the Divine, I quickly noted this feeling as though it would be of great importance later. The woman was beautiful in her own way with skin a similar color to mine and dark eyes. She had a deep jagged scar that was etched into her strong jaw-line. It was intimidating and awe-inducing all in one, making one believe that she fought in many battles.

"Explain this!" The woman yelled snatching my hand from my side. An eerie green glow was emanating from my hand casting the room in shadows.

"I-I can't." I said finding it hard to find my voice. "I don't know what it is or how it got there."

"You're lying!" She screamed grabbing me by the collar.

"We need her, Cassandra" Another woman said stepping from the shadows. "Do you remember what happened? How this began?" The other woman asked. She was an Orlesian dressed in a lightweight armor. A hood was drawn over her head and she had bright red hair. Her skin was pale and her eyes were a deep crystalline blue. She was beautiful and yet she seemed to move in a way that said, "if you touch me I'll kill you." I searched my fragmented memory for how this happened, but could only remember me running and my plot to kill the Divine, although that does not seem like a smart thing to say right about now.

"I remember running. Things were chasing me and there was a woman. Believe me when I say that I did not kill anyone. " I tried to make the jumbled memories in my head make sense although at the moment that was all that I had.

"A woman?" The Orlesian restated as if it meant something of utmost importance.

"Leliana, go to the forward camp. I will take the prisoner to the rift." The woman, Cassandra, told her.

At this, Leliana nodded and slipped back into the shadows leaving us in darkness. Cassandra grabbed me by the arm and hauled me from the floor. In one fluid motion she had me on my feet and the rope that was binding my hands was cut. The shackles however, remained in place. Pulling me by the arm I was led out of the dungeon and into the blinding light of the outdoors. Nothing could have prepared me for the giant bright green swirl that made up the sky above Haven. It was both pretty and scary at the same time. A pulse seemed to ripple through the sky shooting green light across it like lightning. The green light that was trickling from my hand began to burn causing me to fall to my knees. It seemed to be tied to that giant swirl in the sky but I had no idea how. Cassandra was at my side in a heartbeat helping me to my feet. "We call that the breach", she said as she pointed towards the sky. "And with each passing moment it is killing you."

"Oh how lovely." I retorted my lips thinning with each and every moment. Maybe this was the Maker getting back at me for all of the lives I took over the years. What a cruel twist of fate. After agreeing to help Cassandra on her endeavor we were moving again. She pushed me through a crowd of people who looked as though they were going to murder me. The one face that really caught my eye was that of Evelyn Trevelyan. Ah so they found the girl in the closet? Another slip up on my part. Oh if looks could kill I would have dropped dead right into Cassandra's arms at that very moment. A mature person would have kept their head down low and kept moving but me being the immature person that I was, stuck my tongue out at her. Then, after a low quiet chuckle I kept it moving. Luckily only she saw or else that tongue would've been cut right off. Once we were away from the people Cassandra took off my shackles.

"We are heading into the valley." She called out to the soldiers who were manning the door. We walked for a while until we came to a bridge. I barely had time to roll to safety as the bridge was hit by something falling from the breach. Groaning, I got up and surveyed the area. The bridge collapsed leaving everyone dead except for Cassandra and I. A pulsating green blob engulfed the ground spewing out-"Demons!" Cassandra yelled. "Get behind me, I will protect you." I watched in awe as Cassandra battered the demon with both sword and shield. She truly was an amazing warrior. I was fine with being a spectator until another pulsating blob appeared in front of me too. Knowing what that meant I turned searching for a weapon. Snatching a pair of daggers from a dead scout I stood ready to fight the demon. After a quick slash to what I could only assume was the throat and a parry the demon fell. "Drop your weapon!" Cassandra commanded me. She had her great sword at my throat in an instant. A small pool of blood began to trickle down my neck from where her sword was.

"Please, you'll have to trust me if we are to do this." I pleaded wanting to gain the woman's trust.

"You are right. I forgot that you willingly agreed to help me." She said while sheathing her weapon and turning back toward where we were going. We walked in silence for a bit felling demons as we went. This place surely was a battlefield. Dead bodies littered the ground, things were burning, and demons seemed to be everywhere. It reminded me of a Blight but only more demony. Things were running smoothly or they were until we ran into a cryptic bald elf who slammed my hand into what he called a "rift" and an amusing dwarf. With Varric and Solas, the two new additions to the team, in tow we walked towards the forward camp.

"Tell me, did you kill the Divine?" The dwarf, Varric asked me. "I get that "I'm not who I say I am" feeling about you."

"I don't remember and I never even told you who I was. Besides I get that "I know something that none of you know" feeling from you." I answered smiling down at the dwarf. Cassandra stopped moving from the front of the group.

"All of this", she said gesturing to the madness that the breach had created, "and I did not think to ask your name." I decided to answer with a half-truth.

"It's fine. My name is Alexandra although I would prefer Alex. My brother Luis and I came here from Antiva on some... business." I told them, but only saying the last part to Varric.

"No glittering titles or extravagant story?" Varric asked.

"No, sorry to disappoint. I'm not really one for titles. On another note though, have any of you seen my brother? The last time I saw him was when..." I trailed off remembering him slipping into the back of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. "Shit. He was at the temple."

"We do not know what became of him yet, have faith." The Seeker said while patting my shoulder. Our moment, however was ruined when a man dressed in Chantry clothing could be heard arguing with Leliana. We were approaching the forward camp and did not even get a chance to breathe before the man started yelling at us instead.

"Take her and bring her to Val Royeaux to be executed, Seeker." The man growled pointing an accusatory finger at me.

 "You, Chancellor Roderick, can not order me. You are nothing more than a glorified bureaucrat." Cassandra hissed while also making a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. Wide-eyed I looked toward Varric who had the same reaction as me. It only lasted a minute though because we both broke out in a fit of giggles. The little Chantry man was fuming but that only made it funnier. I could've sworn that even Leliana cracked a smile, though she quickly concealed it. Solas remained indifferent and seeing his stony face helped me to regain my composure.

"The Breach is the real problem. We must work together to seal it." I stated confidently. Where this great ability to lead came from I had no idea. After a long moment, sputtering a bunch of nonsensical words, which I could only assume were unpleasant, the Chancellor went on his way.

"Now, we must decide how to get you to the breach. I say that we take the longer route. A group of soldiers went missing there and it is imperative that we find them." Leliana stated.

I nodded my head. The more people to help close that thing in the sky the better. We began our long trek toward the breach. Along the way we did run into the group of lost soldiers and after closing yet another rift I found myself underneath of the breach. I could hear voices coming from it. They were haunting, going from audible to inaudible within seconds. There was the Divine, a deeper more sinister voice, and mine. "You were there! The Divine called out to you! What happened!?" Cassandra asked me for the umpteenth time.

"I still don't remember. Let's just seal this thing and maybe it'll all make sense later." I dropped down to where the center of the room was to get a better vantage point. Outstretching my hand like Solas showed me I called the breach forth. In response it rippled, pulsated, and spat out a giant pride demon. The demon did not give us the courtesy of forming a plan as it wasted no time moving in on us. I could feel the familiar hum of Solas setting up an array of barriers. Up above Leliana commanded her scouts to aim their arrows toward the soft flesh of the beast's stomach. Cassandra readied her shield and Varric pulled out Bianca. For once I felt like I wasn't in this alone. This became more apparent to me as the people fighting with me gave it everything they had. One last spray of ice from Solas was all that it took to fell the demon. Outstretching my hand once more I poured the last of my energy into the breach sealing it for good. "Well, shit." I sputtered as a wave of nausea brought me to my knees and everything went from the green of the breach to black.

**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? Is it worth continuing? This is just the beginning so hopefully I can start delving into my character's personality. We'll eventually find Luis too. Do not worry he isn't dead. I am open to suggestions and changes also. Sorry if it's a bit rushed. I just really wanted to get this beginning part down so oops.


	2. Not All Orlesian Accents Are Beautiful

I awoke, expecting to be back in a dungeon or worse awaiting my "fair trial" that would never actually be fair, but surprisingly I was tucked into a bed, dressed in the armor of a rogue, and a fresh plate of food was sitting by my bedside.  _Strange way to treat your prisoner. One minute I'm being charged with murder and now I'm being treated like some kind of noble._  It was all very peculiar. A bright green light brought me from my musings. Looking down at my hand, the events that took place in Haven came back to me in full force. The different shades of green that seemed to dance along my palm were definitely real.  _The Conclave really did explode, Luis was missing, and I still have not had a chance to mention that I was an Antivan Crow. Great_. Glancing around the room my eyes fell upon a young elven woman. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my lady."  She started, I must have startled her because shortly after her apology whatever she was carrying fell onto the floor. _My lady? I've been called many things, but never that before._ "Seeker Pentaghast would like to see you at once, my lady." She continued saying all while bending down to clean up the mess. 

"Please, allow me. And if you don't mind me asking how long have I been out?" I asked, making a move to assist the woman.

"You have been recovering for nearly three days. After you sealed the breach…" the woman trailed off not fully realizing that I was helping her until now. "I… thank you, but you must go now." She said ushering me out of the door. I nodded, thanked the woman, and closed the door behind me. The air outside of Haven was bracing to say the least. Judging by the sun it was nearly mid-afternoon and still I was freezing. _Leave it to Fereldan to be colder than a witch's tits while Antiva stayed warm all year long._

"Definitely not Antiva." I grumbled wrapping my arms around myself. I blinked a few times adjusting my eyes to the brightness of the sun. When my vision was well enough adjusted "astonished" did not even begin to cover how I felt about the sight that was before me. The people of Haven were in organized lines leading from my cabin all the way to the entrance of the Chantry. They were bowing their heads, had their hands placed over their hearts, and were mumbling things like "she was sent by the Maker." I turned back towards my cabin half-expecting Divine Justinia herself to be standing there waving, ready to tell the people that she did not really die and it was all just some cruel joke. However, she was not there and this only helped to fuel my confusion.  _Did I die and come back as Andraste or something_? Not knowing what to do I began the long walk to the Chantry. Once inside I visibly breathed a sigh of relief. I was unused to so much attention and it was certainly not something that I'd like to get used to. The sooner this was all over the better. Running a hand through my hair I approached a door where Chancellor Roderick, Cassandra, and Leliana could be heard arguing. Feeling as though I'd heard enough I swung the door open. No sooner than when my full body was within the room Chancellor Roderick was pointing an accusatory finger at me.

"Chain her", he commanded to the two guards by the door. "I want her prepared for travel to the capital to await her trial."

"Disregard that, and leave us." Cassandra said looking up from a large map atop a table. With that the two guards saluted, left the room, and closed the door behind them. Still that woman seemed to surprise me. Just when I think that I have Cassandra all figured out she goes and does something like that. I thought for sure that she would agree and allow me to be executed. "The breach is stable, but it is still a threat and I will not ignore it." Cassandra seethed staring daggers at the man. 

"I will do all that I can to seal it", I heard myself say earning an approving nod from Cassandra _. I can't help but feel responsible for it anyway._  I thought. A look of guilt started to reside over my face but was quickly erased. I looked up to see Leliana fixing me with a calculating look.  _She knows something._  I had heard the stories about her. She used to be a bard, an Orlesian spy, no doubt trained in reading the subtleties of her targets and I just gave her a tell. I ran through all of the scenarios in my head of how she would take me out. Perhaps a poison, or a dagger to the back, maybe something ironic like her hiring an assassin to kill me instead. Maybe she doesn't know anything and I am just paranoid. Only time would tell. I was too absorbed with my thoughts to notice that Chancellor Roderick was no longer in the room, there was a book on the table, and both Leliana and Cassandra were staring at me expectantly. 

"Will you join the Inquisition? We aren't ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now no Chantry support." Leliana began running her fingers over the book. 

"But we have no choice: we must act now, with you at our side." Cassandra finished fixing me with that same expectant look from a moment ago. 

"I will help if I can. I will join your Inquisition." I stated looking over the map that was Thedas. This was not going to be easy. 

 

* * *

"Whose bright idea was it to have a conclave in one of the coldest places in all of Thedas?" I grumbled making a beeline for the safety of the Chantry. It had been nearly two weeks since the explosion at the Conclave. The people of Haven seem to have entirely dropped the idea that I could be the cause of the explosion. Much to my annoyance, they now refer to me as Andraste's Herald. It is strange being said to have been led from the fade by Andraste when I had never even set foot in a Chantry until now. According to Solas the breach was the cause of the explosion and in simplest terms I am not powerful enough to  **ever**  command such a force. As insulting as that was I was rather glad to know that I did not kill anyone without my knowledge. Although that still did nothing to help ease my guilty conscience. I was told by Leliana to find a woman in the Hinterlands named Mother Giselle and after speaking with her my guilt has now risen anew. I was briefly distracted in the Hinterlands. There were people to help no matter where you looked and helping to save a life was refreshing for a change. After recruiting Mother Giselle to our cause she gave me some much needed advice. She told me to convince the remaining clerics within the Chantry that I am not to be feared…that I am no demon. They have only heard frightful tales of me… I am to head to Val Royeaux in two days to try to appeal to them. That is why I am here in the Chantry seeking guidance. I can not go before the Chantry and claim to be helping some noble cause when I was sent to kill their Divine. I had never prayed before in my life, but here I was kneeling before a statue of Andraste mustering up one of the few prayers I knew. I had heard Leliana say it when I had gone to speak to her in her tent once and it seemed to come to me now more than ever.

_Blessed are they who stand before_ _the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter._

_Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just._

_Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow._

_In their blood the Maker's will is written._

"Do you want me to write your will in my blood? If I sacrifice my life for this… this Inquisition will it be enough. I am no Champion. Too afraid to admit what I was really here for…" I prayed to what I could only assume was the Maker. I waited for a sign, for anything, but nothing happened.

"I did not know that you prayed, Herald." I heard the familiar lilt of Leliana's musical accent. I turned, watching as she pulled down her hood and kneeled beside me folding her hands in prayer. 

_Now her hand is raised_ ,

_A sword to pierce the sun_

_With iron shield she defends the faithful_

_Let chaos be undone_

We sat for a moment in silence both absorbing what had been said. I was the first to break the silence offering her a hand and gesturing for her to come sit beside me on a nearby bench. The area was secluded enough and with it being early in the morning no one seemed to be around. "Leliana, you used to be a sister of the Chantry, yes?" I asked for some reason feeling as though I could trust the Spymaster. 

"Yes, I was, although I was only a lay sister." She replied, raising an eyebrow at me in question. I ran my hand through my hair nervously. Before I could stop it the long-suppressed dam that had become my mouth came flowing forth. 

"I-I feel horrible Leliana. These people look to me as if I am some sort of paragon when I am no such thing! I am a killer a murderer an assassin! How am I supposed to be a beacon of hope when I nearly killed the Divine!? I'm an Antivan Crow, Leliana! I was hired to kill the Divine and just because I failed that doesn't mean that I wasn't going to. I know how close you two were and I just…I" the gravity of what I told her hit me full force.  _Why did I tell the damned Spymaster?_  I got up to leave but was immediately pulled back down to where I was sitting. I looked Leliana in the eye looking for some sort of emotion: contempt, sadness, disappointment maybe, but there was none.  _She was smiling?_

"I already knew. I was just waiting to see how long it would take for you to confess. I do not fault you for what happened to Justinia, Alexandra. She called out to you for help and she would not have done so if you were her attacker. You are a good woman Alexandra, stop worrying." Leliana responded, the smile never once leaving her face. 

"Y-you knew." I repeated. "How did you… when did you… I thought that-" Her hand came up to cut me off. I tried to voice my thoughts, though despite my efforts all that came out were fragments of what I was truly thinking. 

"Some of my agents intercepted your brother. He was trying to sneak into your cabin after you sealed the breach. He had no idea that it would be so well guarded. Evelyn Trevelyan also came to us demanding that we give back her dress. She said to tell you that "only children stick out their tongues at people" and that you'd understand." Leliana said, a teasing smile playing at her lips. I opened and closed my mouth numerous times in an attempt to say something, to say anything but for once I was at a loss for words. Suddenly a smile came to my lips as well. 

"Oh you _are_ good. So does everyone know?" I asked smiling fully this time. She just nodded. The conversation that was once serious was now replaced with an air of playfulness. "I can't believe you let me walk around afraid that you were going to kill me. You are a wicked woman. You're lucky that you are pretty and have a beautiful sounding accent." I said in an attempt at levity. She leaned forward then, a mere eyelash from my face before moving to my ear and whispering:

"Oh be careful who you call pretty, my friend. The pretty ones are always the deadliest." She teased. A blush so fierce that it nearly rivaled her hair overtook my body and entire face. She merely smirked, pulled up her hood, and  walked toward Josephine's office.

"You'll see who will be left blushing." I mumbled after her retreating body. She turned, winked, making me turn yet another hue of red, and continued on her way. I couldn't tear my eyes off of her retreating form as I was left sputtering in the corner of the Chantry.  _That is one damned good Spymaster._

* * *

"Come to Val Royeaux with me you said. You need my support you said. There would be beautiful _ladies_ here you said." Luis grumbled while walking through the busy streets of Val Royeaux. Calling Val Royeaux beautiful would definitely be an understatement. Everyone was dressed in colorful expensive looking clothing and their faces were adorned with masks of all shapes and sizes. Not to mention the architecture. Val Royeaux was a mix of sweeping blues and extravagant golds. They certainly did not worry about expenses when this place was built. The capital reminded me much of Antiva City only even more grandiose.

"Is there a problem, brother dearest?" I asked batting my eyelashes at Luis. 

"The only problem is that the only ladies I see here are nearly ninety summers old!" Luis exclaimed gesturing at the women around him. His sudden outburst was met with disapproving looks and many sounds of disgust from the people of Val Royeaux. Even though he was being overdramatic I still couldn't hold back my smile.

"We are not here for women. We are here to gain the support of the Chantry. I do not understand why the Herald even brought you with us." Cassandra commented making a disgusted noise that seemed to outdo all of the people in Val Royeaux combined.

"Ah I see what's going on Lady Cassandra, you are a woman of business first and pleasure later. Perhaps I can help you with the pleasuring part." Luis told her while wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Oh Lover boy's done it now. He broke the Seeker." Varric said laughing at the mortified expression on Cassandra's face. After a couple of stifling snickers I was joining in too. Cassandra was standing there with her hands in fists, her brows furrowed in the deepest frown I've ever seen, and her face was bright red. I was sure that she was going to pull her sword out right then and end Luis right where he stood.

"Varric, you should have been there when he tried that same line with Leliana. She had a dagger at his throat in seconds!" I cried through fits of giggles. 

"Oh you should've told me! I would've loved to see that." Varric continued laughing. 

"You just wait the women of Haven will give into my charms in no time." Luis mumbled knowing that it wasn't true. "Besides you are just  jealous because I went after _your_ Spymaster, Alex." Luis replied smiling wickedly at me. "It is okay to be a little jealous, no?" Before I could respond Solas' look of infinite patience seemed to finally wear thin.

"Cassandra please, can we continue on our way?" Solas asked not once cracking a smile. Luis, Varric, and I both shared a look that said  _maybe he's the one in need of a woman_  and kept moving. Once we were at the center of the city we were met with murmurs in both Orlesian and the common tongue. People were running from me as if I had the Blight. Ignoring them, I looked to where a crowd was slowly forming around a woman who seemed to be addressing them. Two Templars were at her flank almost like protection or perhaps for intimidation. I was unsure of which. 

"Just a guess Seeker, but I think that they know who we are." Varric said uneasily. 

"Was it the gasps or the screams that gave it away?" I asked forcing a smile. Varric smiled back though his was just as forced as mine. Weaving through the crowd we made it to the front as to hear and see the woman better. 

"Good people of Val Royeaux, hear me" a woman, dressed in the robes of the Chantry began. "Together we mourn our Divine. Her naive and beautiful heart silenced by treachery." The crowd that was slowly forming around the woman started to stir. Gasps could be heard all throughout the crowd and they were all sending questionable glances in my direction. "You wonder what will become of her murderer", the woman continued. "Well wonder no more. Behold the so called Herald of Andraste, claiming to rise where our beloved fell. We say that this is a false prophet. The Maker would send no Antivan in our hour of need." She sneered. I decided then that Leliana was the only Orlesian whose accent was beautiful. When this woman spoke it was not lilting, it was harsh and stilted. Her voice was filled with contempt for not just me, but the Inquisition as a whole. 

"I never claimed to be Andraste's Herald! I just want to close the breach! I will avenge the Divine and the people who lost their lives at the Conclave." I exclaimed.

"It is true. The Inquisition seeks to end this madness before it is too late." Cassandra agreed. 

"It is already too late." The woman said gesturing for a group of Templars to come up to the platform where she was speaking. "The Templars have come back to the Chantry they have-" the woman was cut off by a man punching her square in her face. I would be lying if I said that the sound of his fist connecting with her jaw did not bring me even a little bit of satisfaction. Under the circumstances though, I was more angered than satisfied. 

"Was that supposed to scare me!?" I asked, nostrils flaring in anger.

"This display was not for you Herald" the man spit as if the word Herald was acid in his mouth. "I just wanted to see who this "Herald of Andraste" was and now that I have I must say that I am dissatisfied to say the least. Come along Templars let us take our leave." The man finished walking off of the platform just as quickly as he had walked onto it. Cassandra ran to catch up with the man.

"Lord Seeker Lucius we must speak with-" Cassandra began but was cut off. 

"You will not address me. Starting a heretical movement, raising a puppet up as Andraste's Prophet… you should be ashamed. If you came to appeal to the Chantry you are too late. The only destiny that demands respect is mine!" The Lord Seeker stated beginning to walk away again. 

"What we need, Lord Seeker, is an alliance. The breach is the real concern here and we need help closing it" I proposed trying to conceal my slowly forming disdain for the man. The man waved me off continuing his march out of Val Royeaux. 

He looked back, made a disgusted noise, and said "find someone else to help your…cause." And with that he was gone. 

"Maybe we can still try to appeal to them. Maybe." I said more to myself than anyone else.

"Well two good things did come out of this. No beautiful women but… An arrow almost hit me in the face and you got an invitation to a party." Luis beamed handing me both the invitation and the arrow. 

"Why would that be good?" Cassandra asked brows already furrowing. 

"The arrow had a note about Red Jenny. It said to follow her trail and that one of them wanted to join you. The invitation is from a Madame De Fer who also would like to join the Inquisition. Even though it's one of those stuck up Orlesian parties it'll probably still have some decent food" Luis answered still flashing that bright smile. 

"Alright if we're all done here let's go find out about these notes. We can hardly turn down free help as it is." I began walking toward where I thought the next Red Jenny note would be. 

"If it is help you are looking for perhaps I can be of assistance." I turned, watching as an elven woman in the robes of a mage approached our group. 

"Grand Enchanter Fiona." Cassandra started. 

"Leader of the Mage rebellion." Solas finished. "Is it not dangerous for you to be here?" He queried.

"I heard of this gathering and I wanted to see the fabled Herald of Andraste with my own eyes. If it's help with the breach you seek perhaps you should look among the mages. If you would like our help we will be in Redcliffe for sometime. I hope to see the Inquisition there" she finished walking back the way she had come. Another Orlesian accent that did not sound genuine. I waited a moment before she disappeared from not only view but also earshot. 

"Is it just me or is this all just too convenient?" I asked thinking over what just happened. Cassandra shrugged not understanding what I meant and Solas like always was indifferent. Varric nodded his head in agreement and Luis looked just as puzzled as me. 

"I find it strange that the Chantry denounces us and not even five minutes later two very strong powers just so happen to show up. One offering us aid and the other looking as though some people don't agree with who they're following. Something is going on with the Templars and mages and it is not just the rebellion. I would like to know what is going on." I said glancing around the group. 

"I agree. This is all far too easy. But before we head back to Haven let us not forget about those recruits we were about to find." Luis said pointing at the notes in my hand. After talking it over we agreed to find these two new recruits and then head back to Haven. Something was going on and I wanted to find out just what it was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be working on posting chapters at least once every two weeks. This chapter just came to me very quickly. Do not worry the next chapter will be more action packed than this one. I just had a few loose ends to tie up. Do not forget to make suggestions.


	3. Templars, Mages, and Dragons

Cassandra and I were not even fully within the Chantry before we were intercepted by the Inquisition's advisers.

"It is good that you have returned. We heard about your encounter in Val Royeaux." Josephine was the first to speak pulling out her quill pen and paper as she did so. I knew that look. A meeting was not too far ahead of us if she was already taking out her notes. I groaned inwardly, already dreading the inevitable war table meeting.

"You heard? Already? Even after we visited the Storm Coast?" Cassandra frowned not understanding how news had traveled so quickly. After the disaster that was the visit to Val Royeaux my party and I went to The Storm Coast in search of The Iron Bull. Once there we sent word of what had happened in Val Royeaux, but still there was no way they could have known unless…  Leliana came out of the shadows and into view startling me in the process.

"Of course. I had agents stationed in Val Royeaux and they informed us of what transpired there. I already have reports stating that you met with The Iron Bull as well."

"Of course you do." I mumbled, not at all surprised that the spymaster knew practically everything. She smirked, somehow having heard my comment even though it was virtually inaudible. That too did not surprise me.

 

"It is a shame that the Templars have abandoned their senses and the capital." Cullen stated, bringing my focus back to the issue of the mages and Templars.

"Well at least now we have two options. Before we had none." I said, trying my hand at optimism.

"Do we truly have two options? Lord Seeker Lucius is not the man that I remember." Cassandra scowled, thinking back to our encounter with the man.

"True. He has taken the order somewhere. But to do what? My reports have been…odd." The five of us made our way toward the war room to further discuss our plan of action.

"We must look into it. I'm sure not everyone supports the Lord Seeker." Our entire group stopped mere inches from the door as Cullen turned and addressed us. _Oh how I hate that look on Cullen's face. Handsome features drawn together in consideration, mouth forming a thin line, and head held high in determination. It just screamed meeting. A decision regarding whether to ally with the Templars or mages had to be made and by the time we come to an agreement we'll be within a new Age. Perhaps it'll be called the Herald's Age, in honor of my untimely death due to the constant war table meetings._

"Or the Herald could simply go to meet the mages in Redcliffe, instead." Josephine disagreed. The advisers looked toward me for my input. I moaned loudly, drawing the rest of the eyes within the Chantry in my direction. Josephine looked horrified, as though what had transpired was too disgraceful for the eyes to see, but I could think of no other way to voice my displeasure.

"Or we could all stop bickering and just decide." I proposed, reaching for the doorknob that led to the war room. Cassandra nodded her head agreeing with me. The advisers followed closely behind as I opened the war room door. We all filed in, positioning ourselves in our appropriate spots beside the map of Thedas. I didn't even have a chance to enjoy the silence before Josephine started talking again.

"We should not discount the mages in Redcliffe. They may be worth the risk."

"They are powerful, Ambassador. But they are more desperate than you realize." Cassandra told her. "If some among the rebel mages are responsible for what happened at the Conclave… I do not wish the Herald any harm."

"And what's wrong with a little danger? Danger and I have been so well acquainted since I stepped out of the Fade that we are practically lovers now. I'm not afraid of any mages. Have you forgotten, the Templars are not blameless as of yet." I rolled my eyes at Cassandra's inability to see both sides. The woman was a Seeker of Truth, yes, but more often than not she seemed to side with her Templar brethren.

"I agree with the Herald. While you were out recruiting The Iron Bull we have received nothing but bizarre messages concerning the Templars. I said before that my reports have been odd although that may be an understatement. My oddest report was that of one of my agents seeing two Lord Seekers." Leliana's brows knitted together in concentration. She was no doubt trying to discern the strange report. Cassandra's mouth opened in response but by then I had already given up on the conversation. I sighed, rubbed my temples, and leaned heavily against the war table. At the rate we were going this was going to be a long meeting... Eventually minutes turned to hours and still no one side would concede. A dull pain snaked its way from my temples, all the way back behind my eyelids, and swam its way into the depths of my skull. _Definitely not what I needed after returning from The Storm Coast._ It was the most intense headache I had ever suffered from and the cause was standing right in front me.The Inquisition's advisers and I have been in the war room for over two hours arguing about who to ask for aid in closing the breach: the Templars or the mages. Leliana and Josephine sided with the mages while Cullen and Cassandra sided with the Templars. I was to be the deciding vote and they were all trying to sway me toward their side. Even so all that they've accomplished was giving me a headache so fierce that if I were to stay in this room any longer the contents of my head would drain out onto the floor. _I'm sure that Josephine would not react well to brain matter staining the floors. That is something that no noble would want to see. Far too scandalous._ Pursing my lips, I sent a look toward the advisers that said, "if you all don't shut up I'll make you." Whatever Cullen was about to say died at his lips when we made eye contact. Rubbing my temples for the second time, I finally decided to voice my thoughts.

"As much as I _appreciate_ your attempt to sway me onto your side I would prefer to gain support from the mages." Leliana smirked, silently congratulating herself for the small victory, Cassandra's lips formed a straight line, and Josephine smiled triumphantly casting a glance toward her Orlesian friend. Cullen's mouth opened in protest but before he could speak my hand came up to silence him. "Before you attempt to gut me where I stand Cullen I would like to say something else. I say we send my brother Luis and a small party to investigate Caer Oswin. I would still like to know what is going on with the Templars and I know Cassandra would as well." As if on cue Luis pushed open the door to the war room and slipped inside lacking both grace and subtlety. He slammed the door behind him and threw his heavy maul onto the floor spattering bits of mud in its wake. He was covered in both mud and rain water having just returned from the Storm Coast with me. Josephine, even having been schooled in the art of guise, was having a hard time keeping the smile on her face as she looked upon the mess.

"I propose I take a small group with me to investigate Caer Oswin. That includes Varric, Solas, and Cassandra." He said sending a wink in Cassandra's direction. If she saw his obvious flirtation she did not react to it having instead decided to listen intently to what he had to say. "Alex could take Sera, Vivienne, and our newest recruit, The Iron Bull with her." Cullen opened his mouth to say something but Luis seemed to beat him to it. "Do not worry Commander, your Herald will be safe. Those three, although our newest members to the Inquisition, have sworn to protect her with their lives and though it means little… I believe them. So no need to worry." Josephine, Leliana, and Cassandra agreed to the proposition. Cullen still seemed to have some reservations, but eventually conceded. Thank the Maker. Each adviser would in some way get what they wanted. Having come to an agreement the six of us set out to go about our normal everyday duties. My foot was just outside of the door when I was stopped by Leliana.

"There is one other matter. Several months ago The Grey Wardens of Ferelden vanished. I sent word to those in Orlais, but they have also disappeared. Ordinarily I wouldn't even consider the idea they're involved in all this, but the timing is…curious. The others have disregarded my suspicions, but I can not ignore it. Two days ago, my agents had heard news of a Warden in the Hinterlands named Blackwall. When you go to contact the mages I suggest that you would find him as well. Perhaps this Warden will put my mind at ease."

"Do not worry. I have learned within my short time here that if a spymaster considers something suspicious it usually is. I will find this Blackwall and I will send word of what he knows." I nodded, leaving the Chantry to prepare for travel to the Hinterlands.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Bull asked me for about the tenth time. I opened my eyes to see his hulking form peering down at me, suceeding in not only keeping the sun off of me, but also blocking it out entirely. Having recently spoken with the mages and gaining nothing from them but even more confusion I thought that we needed some fun. When we reached Redcliffe we were met with time altering rifts, crazed Tevinter magisters, and an absent-minded Enchanter Fiona. The woman swears that she never met the Inquisition in Val Royeaux and that today was the first time we met. She even had the audacity to say that she sold the mages to Tevinter. I snickered remembering when Vivienne told her that she looked dreadful. I thought that I was going to laugh out loud when Vivienne told Fiona that her dementia was showing. Still, even after Enchanter Fiona's supposed memory loss we were met with even more uncertainty. We are to be aided by the son of Magister Alexius and a well-groomed Tevinter native named Dorian. Dorian, who I actually seem to like, was sent back to Haven for the advisers to deal with. Oh how I wish Cassandra was around to have to deal with his pompous attitude. She would have had him killed the moment he uttered the words, "most handsome man in Haven." I slid the events that happened recently into the recesses of my mind, focusing on Bull's inquiry.

"It's something a Dalish clan taught me once. It's to help me hear things that we don't usually pay attention to." I answered once again closing my eyes.

"How does an Antivan assassin meet some elves anyway?" Bull asked.

"The same way a Quanari spy meets an Antivan assassin… circumstance. It just sorta happened." Regardless of my vague explanation Bull seemed to understand.

"Whatever. Just try not to be too elfy." Sera called out from the top of a nearby tree. How she got in there I have no idea but I nodded to her anyway. I drowned out the usual sounds of the Hinterlands and instead zeroed in on the irregularities. I ignored the familiar sound of a bird taking flight and the peaceful sound of the breeze that was blowing through the air. I ignored those familiar yet serene sounds and focused instead on something peculiar, other than Sera’s cackling of course. My head suddenly snapped in the direction of something taking flight. It sounded far too heavy to be a mere bird. Moving toward the sound I began examining the area where I had heard the movement. I carefully checked the footprints in the dirt. They were large, surprisingly deep, hinting at heaviness, and very very fresh. Judging by the size and the fact that there were also marks of a clawed creature within them I'd say that I found what I was looking for.

"I think that we found our dragon!" I exclaimed doing a victory dance. Bull and Sera seemed to perk up at the news.

"You found a dragon?" Sera jumped from the top of the tree she was perched in and landed gracefully in front of me. Her expression switched from pure boredom to excitement in seconds. In a flash her bow was stringed and ready to fire if need be.

"Well not yet, but these are the tracks of dragonlings and where there's babies…" I trailed off already knowing the answer.

"There's the mother!" Bull flashed me a wide toothy grin. "Ah finally there's something for me to kill." Bull ran to me giving me a companionable but hard slap on the back. The three of us, having left both Vivienne and Blackwall at the nearest camp, moved to where we believed the dragon to be. The Hinterlands was a place made of rugged terrain. There was wildlife everywhere and one needed to tread carefully if they were to survive. We began traipsing through the dwelling of the dragon fighting dragonlings along the way.

"Hey why didn't we bring ol' broody beard? I could've been behind him instead of gettin' hit with fire." Sera commented while we walked further into the dragon's lair.

"That guy doesn't sit well with me. He's hiding something. "I'm the only Warden that didn't disappear" my arse." I grumbled remembering my meeting with the man.

"Yeah, he's probably hiding some shit. But aren't we all?" Bull questioned decapitating another baby dragon at the same time. Even though I knew that was true it did nothing to suppress my distrust for the man. Luckily Sera ended the conversation just as quickly as she started it.

"There it is!" Sera pointed at the monstrous beast that was the dragon. The dragon's skin was a light green accented with fluorescent orange stripes, it's head was adorned with two razor sharp horns, and the tail, which looked as though it could kill you with one well placed sweep, was littered with jagged spikes. That was not even the beast's worst feature. Its worst feature was its teeth, which looked as though it could easily tear through bone and flesh alike. The dragon lay on a rock above us surveying both us and the surrounding area. This was no doubt the dragon's resting place. That much could be seen by the blazing fires that engulfed each and every tree we came across. The dismembered charred corpses might have also hinted at the existence of a dragon. The three of us barely had time to react as the dragon swooped over us spraying a torrent of flame in its wake. "That was close." Sera dove behind a nearby rock aiming her bow at the dragon lining up for a full draw. By this time it had landed and Bull and I were hitting it with a barrage of attacks. I slipped into the shadows allowing Bull to gain the attention of the dragon. Once the dragon's attention was focused solely on Bull I hit it with a death blow to the wing disabling its ability to fly. The dragon roared in pain, snapped its teeth wildly, and screeched into the sky calling more dragonlings to its aid. I turned, hearing the first one approach me from behind and dealt it a quick blow to the jugular. I similarly dealt with three more covering myself in both mine and the dragon's blood. The dragonlings flew onto a nearby hilltop as to have a better vantage point. They surrounded us from above raining fireballs onto our heads. I dodged a ball of flame that was aimed at me rolling into another dragonling that was close by. I slit its throat in one fluid motion, looking toward my team to see if they were fairing well. From the corner of my eye I could see that Sera had already picked off a few of her own. I nodded to Sera knowing that she would do her best to keep the dragonlings off of us while we killed the mother. The dragon began spewing fire at me and I had to slip into the shadows to get away from it. While it was occupied with trying to find me Bull wound his arm up and slammed his maul's blade into the dragon's neck covering us in its blood. Bull yanked it out and dealt another heavy blow to the dragon's neck almost severing its head. Coming out of stealth I sliced through the muscles in the dragon's hind leg's immobilizing it. In one last attempt at survival the dragon tried desperately to sweep us into it with a winged attack. Sera was pulled from behind the rock where she was steadily dealing damage to the beast and was pulled into its line of vision. The beast's neck snapped back preparing  to douse her in flame. Moving with a speed that I could only describe as inhuman, I dove into the dragon's flames pushing Sera out of the way. In the confusion Bull severed the dragon's head from its shoulders but it was too late. Sera was saved but my arm wasn't. It was engulfed in the flames of the dragon and the pain… the pain was… actually nonexistent. I looked down at my arm to survey the damage and it was oozing a clear liquid. That can’t be good. My skin was dark resembling the charred corpses we had seen earlier, it was yellowing in some spots, and just leathery. Looking deeper I could see a bit of bone where the skin had burned away and or peeled off. I looked up at Bull, then Sera, thought about something dashing to say like "I regret nothing", but fainted instead.

"That doesn’t look good. Balls, why'd ya have to save me?" Sera went through her belt before she found what she was looking for. With shaky hands she threw it at me: a flask of ice. My arm was then encased in a block of ice. Hopefully this would do away with the swelling and probable pain that would no doubt follow.

"Sera we need to get her back to camp. That mage might be able to fix this." Bull heaved me onto his shoulders and started sprinting toward the camp. "Way to ruin a dragon fight, Boss." He grumbled trekking back to camp with me on his shoulder and Sera following closely behind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short but what are ya gonna do? The next chapter is going to be a lot calmer that's for sure. Don't forget to make suggestions and comment!


	4. Relax

It has been two weeks since my arm was injured protecting Sera from the dragon in the Hinterlands. With Solas, our best healer, accompanying Luis on his expedition my arm was left to heal on its own. Vivienne was an adept healer herself although I preferred that she use her talents to help the many other residents of Haven who were in need of healing. As a result of my decision I was left with a bandaged left arm that hung loosely in a sling. Since I am unable to take part in closing rifts, let alone leave Haven with a damaged arm, I have taken up the task of being the errand runner. It started with the apothecary when the man taught me how to apply the healing salve to my arm. I was grateful for his assistance, so grateful even, that I asked if he needed anything and soon enough I was on a quest to deliver him some medicinal herbs and notes on how to create a certain elixir. After finishing that errand I took up the task of delivering herbs to Mother Giselle. Once the necessary herbs were gathered I was tasked with helping Josephine with her duties. I was to be her right hand and that meant doing the trivial tasks that she was far too busy to do herself. And so here I was hours later with documents in hand to deliver to Leliana. I stopped once I was outside of Leliana's tent making my presence known before entering.   
  
"Leliana, I have some important documents from Josephine that I may or may not have skimmed through." I paused before adding, "you know for your protection of course" Hearing no response, I called out her name through the opening of the tent. Realizing that she still hadn't heard me I slipped inside making myself comfortable by leaning against one of the tent's pegs. I waited, noticing that she was speaking to one of her agents. They spoke of a great many things and eventually I grew too bored to listen to the exchange. I instead focused on the decor, or lack there of, within Leliana's tent. They say that a person's room says much about themselves, although this isn't Leliana's personal bedroom I'd say that the saying still applies. However, I hope that in this case that was untrue for the spymaster. The room was made up of several barrels filled with Maker only knew what and two tables both overflowing with documents that were in neat organized piles. Some would call it quaint, I on the other hand, would call it the work space of someone who was far too industrious. The woman did not even own a chair. Maker forbid Leliana actually tried to relax. I scoffed internally at my gibe toward the spymaster. _The woman definitely needed to relax more._ My musings were disrupted when the light conversation that Leliana and her agent were having turned more sinister. The air around the two seemed to tense and if my hunch was right someone's premature death was imminent.   
  
"There were so many questions surrounding Farrier's death. Did he think that we wouldn't notice? He's killed Farrier, one of my best agents, and knows where the others are." Leliana shook her head as if disappointed. "You know what to do. Make it clean. Painless if you can. We were friends once." The agent nodded his head in agreement and was ready to carry out the orders when I stopped him.    
  
"Wait. What are you doing?" I asked, pushing off of the tent peg and walking up to the two.   
  
"He betrayed us. He murdered my agent." Leliana's voice suddenly raised several decibels. A confrontation was brewing and I did not wish to argue with the woman who had become a quick friend, but this was wrong.  
  
"And you would kill him just like that?" I asked raising my voice in turn. The documents that were held in my right hand were then crushed with my anger.  
  
"You find fault with my decision?" By then the once controlled conversation was now a full blown dispute.   
  
"Killing is not the answer. You and I know that better than anyone." She laughed then a sad pitiful one understanding that I was speaking about her past as a bard.   
  
"I may not like what I do, but it must be done. I can not afford the luxury of ideals at a time like this." She spoke quickly trying to make me understand her rationale but I would not have it.  
  
"After what happened at the Conclave I found solace in knowing that the hands that I once used for murder could now be used to aid not just destroy. As of right now you sound no better than the Crows. I expected more from the Inquisition's spymaster." My words lacked both accusation and venom. I was cutting to the heart of the problem and whether Leliana's ire ensued so be it. She seemed to consider what I had said though. The deep lines of anger that once covered her face smoothed just as quickly as they had appeared.   
  
"You have made that point clear." The displeasure that laced her voice a moment ago had dissipated. She moved to the other side of the tent looking down in thought before addressing her agent who I had entirely forgotten was even within the room. "Apprehend Butler, but see that he lives." The agent nodded and jogged off to do Leliana's bidding. "Now, if you are happy I have more work to do." Taking the now crumpled documents from my hand, she returned to work. I left wordlessly, going back toward Josephine's office to see what else she needed of me.   
My hand had barely even grazed the door to knock before I was assaulted by Josephine.   
  
"What took you so long?" Josephine grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into her study. She then began handing me more documents to fill out. "Forgive my impropriety but there is still so much to do." She apologized smoothing out the wrinkles that she created when pulling my collar. "We must send out personal invitations to nobles, thank Marquis DuRellion for allowing us to stay here, I also need to send a diplomat to Redcliffe to…" Josephine stopped mid-sentence looking at me knowingly. "What happened between you and Leliana?" She sat at her desk and waited for me to sit in front of her to recount the tale. I laid the documents she had handed me aside  and told her of what transpired.  
  
"We got into an argument." I told her, lips thinning in the process.   
  
"Ah. What was it about?" She folded her hands politely on the desk waiting for me to elaborate.   
  
"It was about a traitor within the Inquisition. I told her to spare the man and have him brought in rather than kill him. Perhaps I stepped out of line." Josephine was quick to answer in my defense.   
  
"No, you did not. You have a voice in all that we do here, Herald. If you did not agree with her methods you have every right to say so. Leliana is one of my oldest friends. I know her well. She does not like to be questioned. She was not without mercy once but now… Perhaps with your influence she could be that way once again." Josephine smiled hopefully and eventually I too smiled.   
  
"Maybe you are right. One of these days I will get that woman to relax, that I _can_ promise you."  
  
"I hope that you can keep that promise. Leliana has been far too invested in her work as of late. It would be nice to see even a shadow of her former self." Not wanting to denigrate Leliana I felt as though a change in subject was needed.    
  
"What was that about personal invitations to nobles?" I asked, retrieving a list of noble's names from Josephine's desk.   
  
"Oh yes I had almost forgotten! Can you please write letters inviting nobles to visit Haven? The more exposure the Inquisition receives the more gold and influence we will gain. I will begin the letter to the Marquis." With that the two of us got to work. I marveled at the way Josephine's handwriting swooped and swirled looking as though it was some kind of artwork. Each stroke with her pen was done with such care and the result was an array of intricate lettering. I looked from her letter to my own silently berating myself for not being able to create such beautiful lettering. My letter, if it could be called that, was a mess. Each stroke of my pen was done carelessly. My work mirrored that of a child's and I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Josephine's artistry. _I vow on this day to learn how to write like that no matter how long it takes. My handwriting will be as beautiful as my dagger work._ With that vow I worked with a newfound diligence. My hand ached in places where I did not think it was possible but eventually Josephine and I were done. She thanked me and set about the task of sending the letters. I then decided to go by the practice yard to visit Cullen. If I was going to be an errand runner I had might as well aid all of the advisors.   
  
Not finding Cullen by the practice area outside of Haven I decided to make my way to the stables. By the time I got there the moon was already taking up its spot high within the sky, casting Haven in shadows. With nightfall came a wintry breeze that was both chilling and refreshing in one. I took my cloak which hung loosely around my shoulders and wrapped it around my body reveling in the heat that it provided. I waited a few moments for my body to adjust to the temperature before searching the stables for my own personal mount. He was an Avvaran War Nug, a rare magnificent creature, and loyal companion, but I liked to call him Falon. Even under the cover of night he stood out amongst Haven's horses, resembling a noble among peasants, he struck quite the figure in the night. The moon's luminous glow seemed to accentuate his white skin attractively. He snorted, his intelligent eyes met mine as if he could hear my thoughts and knew that I had complimented him. I shook my head at his antics and undeniable intelligence. Reaching into my pocket I pulled out a few carrots for Falon to munch on. He ate them hungrily and rubbed his horns along my hand grateful for the treat. I patted his head lovingly before opening the stables that kept him lodged inside. He grunted, knowing that if he wanted to he could leave the stables at any time.   
  
"I know, I know. Those stables are just for show. We both know that you could easily break through those gates." I laughed then as he nuzzled my face in answer. He chuffed, moving his head in the direction behind me, indicating that someone was approaching. "I'm sorry I just wanted to see how Falon was doing. I'll put him back I-" I stopped mid-sentence realizing that it was only Leliana. "Oh thank the Maker it's only you. I thought for sure Master Dennet would have my behind." I visibly relaxed moving toward Leliana. Her hood was removed revealing the beautiful face that was seldom seen and she seemed to lack her usual air of severity. Her voice was heavenly against the grizzly winds that had been piercing my ears for the past hour.  
  
"I wanted to apologize for my outburst earlier. You were right. I need to be more lenient when dealing with my agents." I gasped theatrically in answer backing up and leaning my full weight on Falon acting as though I was feeling faint. She stared at me unsure of how to react to my outburst.   
  
"You! Leliana, the Left Hand of the Divine, and spymaster to the Inquisition…" I breathed as if the titles were a mouthful. I panted sucking in air as if saying the titles made me breathless. "will try to be more lenient. I thought that I would never see the day." My eyes widened with feigned shock. I looked to Falon to see if he had heard as well. "Next thing you know she'll be …" I trailed off not daring to actually say the words. I gulped acting as though it was too hard to imagine. "Relaxing." I whispered covering my face with my one good hand. I peered through my fingers to see a smile on her face. _So the scary Nightingale is capable of smiling genuinely. Who would've known?_  
  
"And is that so hard to imagine? You can not imagine me relaxing?" She asked with mock hurt. "I'll have you know I could relax if I wanted to." She folded her arms waiting for my answer.   
  
"Do not worry. I am only joking. I believe you." I sobered, knowing that the rest of what I had to say was important. I hugged Falon's neck in departure and put him back in his stable before continuing. "Master Zevran used to speak highly of you." She seemed surprised by my sudden change in demeanor.  
  
"You knew Zevran?" Leliana unfolded her arms and moved closer as to hear me better. I nodded my head in answer waiting for the barrage of questions that would no doubt follow. "How did you meet him? And more importantly how did you become a Crow? I was tasked with finding out everything I could about you." She looked down sheepishly. "The Crows cover their tracks well."   
  
"I'll tell you whatever you would like to know, my lady." I bowed dramatically. I wrapped her hand around my arm and began leading her on a walk with no particular destination. She seemed skeptical at first but allowed me my fun waiting patiently for me to continue. "Before I joined the House of Crows I lived in Rialto. There was a whorehouse there… one that I remember vividly." I smiled bitterly at the memory before continuing. "I'm sure that Zevran told you his mother worked there and after she died he was sold to the Crows. I was sold under similar circumstances but only my own mother sold Luis and I for a combined number of seven sovereigns. I was only six years old at the time. We were sold into House Arainai. Coincidentally, this was the same one Zevran was sold into during his youth. Women are not usually allowed to take part in combat in Antiva, but I showed promise and so they made an exception. Out of the 23 recruits that were bought that day only Luis and I survived the tests." During the recounting of my tale Leliana and I found ourselves sitting on a dock overlooking a frozen lake outside of Haven. The spot was perfect for not only overlooking the water but also viewing the breach. Unconsciously, I gazed up at the bright green blemish that now made up the sky. It was strange, while the breach lay in the sky death was inevitable and yet the eerie glow that it seemed to cast on Haven was still beautiful. I reached up crushing it within my fingers like a child pretending to crush a person's head. I looked away from the anomaly instead focusing on my story. I inhaled deeply allowing the bitter cold of the night air to give me the strength to continue. "When I was fifteen, five years ago, Luis and I were  tasked with the job of finding and eliminating Zevran."   
  
"And you found him?" Leliana queried, obviously concerned for her friend's safety.   
  
"Oh we found him. Luis, who played the role of muscle during our jobs, thought that it would be a good idea to break down the door of the inn that he was staying at. The "element of surprise" he called it. He was eight years older than me and I thought that he knew what he was doing." I laughed at the idea of listening to Luis. _Never again._  
  
"I am guessing that it didn't work out well for you two." Leliana leaned in absorbing each and every detail of my story. That deadly air that seemed to follow her every move was nonexistent. It was replaced with a childlike curiosity that made the woman look insanely… human. _I guess bards don't just love telling stories they love hearing them too._  
  
"If I were to say that it would definitely be an understatement. He was with the Hero of Ferelden. And when I say with I mean _with._ I was not aware that they were involved romantically. The things that I saw that day… no one should see. I never knew that someone could be so limber." I shuddered at the memory trying to push the images back to the recesses of my mind. It started as snickering but eventually Leliana was full on laughing. I had not expected the woman to react that way.   
  
"Those two would bed each other during all different times of the day during the blight. And you-you walked in on them." She was trying, and failing to breathe in between laughs. I watched in awe as the woman tried repeatedly to control herself. I wondered if anyone in the Inquisition ever saw her smile, let alone laugh.  
  
"Yes. I was so mortified that I don't even remember how I got tied up. One minute I was seeing that and then the next Luis and I were tied up in a chair back to back. He interrogated us-naked I might add- and learned that we were sent to kill him. I thought that I was going to die right then but instead he offered to teach me how to dual-wield. He said that in the coming days I would need to know how to take care of myself. I never knew what he meant by that but I accepted his mentorship. The Hero of Fereldan taught Luis how to use his two-handed maul and Zevran taught me everything that I know about daggers. He sent me back to the Crows and said that he would make it seem as though I never found him. He was good on his word and the Crows never found out what truly happened. They did go after him again but that was much later. I heard that the Champion of Kirkwall was involved in that dispute."   
  
"I still can not believe that you walked in on Zevran and the Hero of Ferelden." Leliana laughed breathlessly until she could control herself once again. "You said that he spoke of me. What did he say?"   
  
"He spoke of the group that he travelled with during the blight fondly. A brave dashing warden, a less handsome more dimwitted warden, a sharp-tongued witch of the wilds, a piss drunk dwarf, a wise old circle mage, and a beautiful Orlesian bard with an enchanting voice. He also mentioned a mabari war hound. Leliana smiled faintly at the memory. "I see that he wasn't lying about the beautiful Orlesian either." She smirked, shrugged off my playful flirtation, and began speaking.   
  
"I remember those days. I was so naive then."   
  
"Maybe you weren't naive. The Leliana he spoke of was caring, joyful, and had the most beautiful singing voice he had ever heard. He said that you told stories around the camp fire and you were the one who kept the peace within the group. I see bits of that Leliana sometimes. Don't let her become lost entirely. Don't lose yourself because of your duties."   
  
"I have seen too much. I am the Inquisition's spymaster I can not afford to be-" I put my hand up stopping her in the middle of her sentence.   
  
"Titles mean little to me. The title that you hold as spymaster and Left Hand of the Divine does not define you. You are more than just a title and that is why I will never truly acknowledge it."   
Leliana looked up at the breach, attractive features scrunching up in thought, she seemed to contemplate my words but decided on just a smile as answer. That teasing aura that appeared to emanate around her when we were together resurfaced within moments.   
  
"What was that about me being beautiful?" Leliana cocked one hip out, raised an eyebrow in question, and smiled provocatively at me. I curved my lips into an irritatingly smug smirk, but internally I was racking my brain for a proper response. It's a game between us, a game of flirtation and seduction. We both flirt as easily as we breathe and it has become a familiarity within the ever changing lives that we lead. Sera and I have our pranks, Bull and I our drinks, Cassandra and I our books, and the rest of my party has their way of unwinding. Leliana and I have a more scandalous pass time, playful seduction. We try to see who will cave first and as of right now she is in the lead. _Not for long._   
  
"Oh is it so wrong to recognize the attractiveness of the Inquisition's Spymaster? It is not hard to identify a beautiful lady, such as yourself." I stood, took Leliana's hand, similarly to a gentleman taking a noblewoman's, and was mere inches from pressing my lips to it when she pulled it away. Her face switched from bemused to thoughtful to something unrecognizable in seconds. _Damn, I must have crossed the line._ I opened my mouth to apologize for being too forward, but she put her finger up to silence me. Leliana took my hand and sat us back down along the docks overlooking the frozen lake. Without even acknowledging my failed flirtation, we continued to talk until the moon was high over Haven exchanging stories of her days during the blight and stories of my days as an assassin. We laughed, joked, and for once I actually saw the Inquisition's spymaster relax.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some calmness before I make the Herald deal with the mages. Don't forget to comment and thanks for reading.


	5. Blood

"Herald, you will need to practice dual-wielding again. Your left arm was badly injured _trying_ to fight a dragon. Leliana has been careful to make sure that word of your injury does not spread beyond these walls, but it is time to test the waters." _We weren't trying to fight the dragon. We fought and killed it._ I rolled my eyes theatrically at Cullen's inability to remember the details. Cullen had that stupid look on his face again. The one that practically screamed long boring war table meeting. That, along with the fact that Josephine had her notes out again, is why I was not surprised when the Inquisition's advisors and I found ourselves in the war room yet again. Only this time we were not discussing who to ally with, we were discussing what to do about my injury. After the incident with the dragon I was left incapacitated for nearly a month. _Last time I dive into a dragon's flames…at least for a few days._ Now here I was nearly a month later intricate scarring decorating from where the mark lay all the way up to my shoulder. If one looked at the scarring they would believe it to be a tattoo; the sweeping lines of pink scar tissue did nothing to quell that aspect either. Vivienne believed that it healed that way because dragons are magical beings and the fire of a dragon coupled with the magic of the mark created the haunting etchings along my arm. I sighed, recollected my thoughts, and focused on the dialogue before me. "You will need to be at your best when you go to ally with the mages. If what this Dorian says is true you will need to have your fighting skill back. Sister Leliana has volunteered to help not only gauge but enhance your dual-wielding skills." Cullen continued. My line of vision flicked from Cullen to Leliana, my eyes switching from thoughtful to appraising in the process. Leliana was petite, though what she lacked in size she made up for with her sharp tongue and quick wit. Stories of her exploits have reached as far as Antiva and if those stories were true then she was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Sera said that she heard that Leliana used to play. Although no one knows for certain, based off of the stories that she's told I'm sure that she has done much more than just play. I do know one thing, I would like to know more of the woman who helped stop the fifth blight.

"Herald, we know that you would not wish to-" Josephine stated nervously but was quickly cut off by my answer.

"I agree. I would love to have Leliana as a teacher." I said, still appraising my soon to be mentor.

"That is… surprising. I thought for sure you would disagree." Josephine responded, scribbling something into her note pad.

"We will start in the morning. That is unless you need more time to prepare." Leliana said, that familiar teasing air already taking form around her.

"I am in no need of preparation. Let's start as soon as possible." I answered, flashing her my signature smirk.

* * *

 

"Why must we practice so early. My eyes have bags under their bags." I whined, poking and prodding the scrunched up tissue under my eyes. Leliana shot me a look that I deciphered as, "if you don't stop whining I'll give you something to really whine about" and continued on her way. With that, I bit my tongue, subduing the complaints that were no doubt going to fall from my mouth at any moment, and obediently followed behind her. We were making our way toward the practice grounds outside of Haven. It was barely even dawn yet. Haven was cast in shadows, curtesy of the moon that hung low in the sky and our only source of light was the soft glow that it let off. I was definitely not a morning person. That much could be seen by the deep scowl that was residing over my face. I groaned internally, using my mind to voice my displeasure instead of saying it aloud. Leliana ignored my foul mood, stopped abruptly, almost causing me to crash into her, and sent me the look of a mother scolding her child.

"Alexandra, I told you numerous times that it is best that we practice when we can not be bothered by our duties." She said pointedly. She did not wait for a response and instead handed me my daggers and backed up as to get a better vantage point. "Are you sure you do not wish to wear shoes?" She wrinkled her nose and shot my feet a disgusted look. I was dressed in tight-fitting hose, a loose sleeveless blouse, and my feet were bare. My long black hair was braided and hanging lightly over my shoulder. Leliana was dressed much the same although she wore shoes. I looked from her to me not understanding the issue.

"I don't see what the problem is. I like being barefoot it helps me to feel every move you make." I stressed my point by burying my feet within the snow and feeling for pulses. It was cold, but I was willing to do anything to get the upper hand. "I must know, why are we using pointed daggers?"

"Do not tell me the former assassin is afraid of a little blood being spilled."

"Emphasis on _former_. I do not wish to hurt you." The expression on Leliana's face turned to something unrecognizable before settling into a faint smile.

"Then do not. This is just practice and we must make it feel like a real life battle." With that she turned and got into a fighting stance. _I'm not going to hurt her_ , I promised to myself. I twirled my dagger in my left hand testing my formerly injured arm's stability. Feeling that it was more than up to par we got to work. The morning was filled with the soft clang and stabs of our dagger work. It was like a dance, stab, parry, pirouette, and slash. To the naked eye it would look as though we were barely putting forth any effort at all, like it was more a spectacle than a duel. To us though, it was a mixture of concentration, footwork, and a test of endurance. We moved in this way for what felt like hours not landing a single blow on each other. Sweat dripped down my brow freely, but I did not dare wipe it away for fear of Leliana getting the upper hand. She did not seem to be tiring and I could tell that I was reaching my limit. This needed to end soon. I smiled mischievously as a thought entered my mind. _She didn't say that I needed to fight fairly._ I threw one of my daggers up into the air. Not falling for the distraction, Leliana kept her eyes glued to me. Her eyebrow shot up in question but she still held her guard. I smirked, knowing that I had already outsmarted her. _I knew that you wouldn't be fooled Nightingale._ I feinted left, did a quick pirouette to dodge Leliana's attack, and landed behind her. I quickly caught the dagger that had been falling and placed it on her back while the other resided where her kidneys were.

"You are good Herald." Leliana drawled, her face looking as though she was both unsurprised and unimpressed in one. "But I am better." She moved quickly, so quickly that I barely had time to blink, and reversed us so that I was the one with the dagger to the kidney and one to the back. Anyone else would have been stunned, but I was unmoved. Another one of my famous smirks began to spread across my face. _I planned for this too._

"Are you sure about that?" Before she could respond I swept my leg underneath of hers causing her to topple over. Using the momentum of the fall, I switched our positions so that when we landed I was on top. We both fell leaving Leliana underneath of me, one of my daggers at her neck and the other at my side having fallen in the move. She had one of her daggers at my hip as well, ready to land a blow if necessary. Defiant blue eyes met playful hazel ones as we tried to control our breathing. After a moment I began to speak, trying to make it sound like I hadn't planned for this to happen. "Well would you look at that. It looks like we'll have to call this a truce." I said, smiling down at the other woman. A sly smile overtook her face at my words.

"You orchestrated the outcome didn't you? You fought so that we could both win, yes?" I decided to feign ignorance and just opted with a smile as answer.

"Hey, let's call it a day." I moved to get up, but was mesmerized by a stream of scarlet that was slowly trickling down Leliana's neck. My eyes widened in shock. The whole point of the truce was to not hurt her. "Is that blood?"

"It is only a cut. There is nothing to worry about. I am fine."

"Y-yeah nothing to worry about." I moved to get off of her again, but eyes glazing over, fell right back onto her. The last thing I remember before passing out was the blood that was trickling down her neck.

* * *

 

"Oh Maker's balls, it feels like some whore is romping inside my head." I cursed, sliding further into the covers of my bed. _Wait? Bed?_ I shot up in the bed to survey my surroundings. Apparently I did so too quickly because my head started to ache again. It felt as though the Templars and Mages were having their war inside of my head. A slew of curses in both Antivan and the common tongue slipped from my mouth. I was too dazed by my headache to even realize that I wasn't alone in the room. In a corner at the end of the room sat Leliana, an amused expression covering her face.

"You have quite the colorful vocabulary Alex." At any other time that voice would have been music to my ears, but now it just seemed to painfully reverberate throughout my head. _Leliana._

"What happened? One minute we're sparring and then the next I'm here. I remember pinning you to the ground and…" Suddenly it dawned on me. _The blood._ My face reddened with embarrassment.

"This is my first time seeing an assassin pass out at the sight of blood." She smiled, a teasing irritatingly smug smile, but one that complimented her facial features attractively nonetheless. She moved her chair to my bedside and one leg draped over the other continued speaking. "Vivienne says that you have a phobia involving blood, is that true?"

"Only when it comes to people I care about. Usually, in Antiva, it would happen when my brother was hurt. Out of all of the people in Antiva his safety was my only concern. The people in the Inquisition are like family to me and if I see them bleed I pass out." I studied the strange expression on Leliana's face before saying, "I guess you could say that I must really care about you." After the words left my mouth I internally facepalmed.  _Nice going Casanova. That was a stupid thing to say._ I looked down sheepishly, half-expecting to see a horrified expression on Leliana's face, but when I looked up she had donned that familiar unrecognizable expression again. It was only there for a split second before it settled into an easy smile.

"That is… " She paused for a moment, seeming as though she was struggling to find the words. "good to know. I care about you too." It shouldn't have happened. It really really really shouldn't have happened, but upon hearing those words something that lay dormant within my gut seemed to…flutter? I looked away from her, an array of emotions covering my face, it dawned on me. I knew what that feeling meant and if it was what I think it was then I was truly in some deep shit now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of short and a little late but more fluff before all of the real action happens. In the next chapter I'll have our Herald finally deal with the mages and just so you know it will be LONG. Don't forget to comment. I'd love to incorporate your ideas into my story. Thanks for reading :D


	6. The Future

We waited, waited until the sun was low above Redcliffe. Waited until every creature within a mile radius was deep in slumber. Waited until even Vivienne's patience started to wear thin. And he just stared, watching us, and saying nothing. Vivienne tapped her foot impatiently, Bull scratched at the small hairs lining his face, and I tested my dagger's proficiency, imagining the air being stabbed as the man blocking the door. The three of us had created a sort of cadence. We were outside of Redcliffe castle waiting for an audience with Magister Gereon Alexius. If I thought that a war table meeting was long before, this was certainly longer. Perhaps if Cassandra were here her and Bull could plow down the door while I killed the guard. I looked off for a moment, eyes finding the breach subconsciously, and began plotting the man's assassination. My potential homicide attempt was stopped when the door finally creaked opened. The steady cadence of tap, scratch, and stab died along with it.

"Magister Alexius will see you now." A man said, gesturing toward the door. "Your patrons" the man said, looking toward Bull and Vivienne, "must wait here."

"They go where I go. If they can not come I will simply go and seek aid from the Templars." I crossed my arms, daring the man to challenge me. The escort looked toward the sky allowing my words to sink in before assenting. The air seemed to thin as we walked into Redcliffe castle. The ominous aura that always emanated off of Alexius leaked through the walls, suffocating me in the process. A bout of anxiety raced through my body causing my mind to go through a plethora of unlikely scenarios. What if Alexius knows of our plan and kills us? What if Felix was playing us from the beginning? What if Dorian never makes it? What if Leliana and her agents were already killed before they could even get into place? My face drained of color when I thought of the last scenario. Feeling as though I was going to vomit, I looked toward Bull for reassurance, finding that his strong jaw set in determination was more than enough to put my mind at ease. I let out a breath I did not know that I was holding, wiped my sweaty palms on my armor, and composed myself. It did not take long for us to reach the main chamber where Alexius was waiting patiently. My eyes swept over the Venatori that lined the entranceway and settled onto Alexius himself. He was seated in a throne, his fist placed under his chin in boredom, and a look of insincere nonchalance covering his features. Fiona looked much the same, although she was standing at the bottom of the small staircase that led to Alexius' throne. I looked quickly from Bull to Vivienne my eyebrow shooting up in question. Both nodded, understanding that I was asking them if they recognized the facade. Fiona, though she was trying her hardest to conceal it, was tense. That much could be seen from the disdainful look that occasionally flitted across her face when she thought that no one was watching. Alexius reacted similarly, a look of pure unadulterated hatred was etched across his face whenever he looked at me. Since the two were trying so hard to conceal their emotions I decided not to acknowledge it.  
  
"Ah, Lady Alexandra, Herald of Andraste, it is good to see you again. Please, approach my throne so that we may discuss the mages." With a forced, tight-lipped smile, Alexius gestures for me to join him. Before I could respond Fiona moves in front of me.

"Am I to have no say in the fate of the mages?" She asked, incredulity lacing her voice.

"Fiona" Alexius began, as if scolding a child, "you have entrusted the safety of the mages to me. I will do what is best for them."

"I find nothing wrong with her taking part in our discussion, it does affect her too after all" I interjected, giving a look to Vivienne and Bull that said "stay put," and moving closer to Alexius with Fiona following suit.

"So, my sources tell me that you are from Antiva. Is that true? What did you do there?" He crossed his arms, leaned in closer as to hear me better, and waited, seemingly more interested in trivialities than the issue at hand. I looked at him bemusedly for a moment before responding.

"Yes, I lived in Antiva. Rialto in fact. I was…" I paused for a moment, unsure if I should be honest or use deception. "An Antivan Crow. An assassin." I smirked as his calm demeanor was replaced with perplexity. It took only seconds for him to sober and look on as if he were unimpressed.

"So, the Inquisition even allows filthy murderers within its' ranks?" Alexius drawled. He tried to sound uninterested, but was failing miserably. His words, though trying to sound like idle prattle, were an obvious provocation. Ah, so that was his angle… how he planned to kill me. He wanted me to initiate an altercation so that he could finish it. I stifled a laugh at the thought of Alexius outsmarting me at my own game. Oh you want to play Gereon? Then let's play.

"I suppose they do. It is not very surprising. I mean, here I am trying to gain favor with a pompous Tevinter Mage asshole like yourself." I smiled, a sickeningly sweet smile as he descended from his throne. Red could not even describe the color of Alexius' face at that moment. "Aw, did I hurt your feelings?" I asked, while batting my eyelashes innocently. Fiona looked on mortified, Vivienne smiled proudly, and Bull was laughing down below. The look of pure hatred took up residence upon Alexius' face, but was quickly erased when Felix walked into the room.

"Father, stop goading her. She knows." Betrayal was the only word that could describe the expression on Alexius' face. When Dorian entered the room shortly after, I could have sworn Alexius was going to have an aneurism.

"What are you doing here!?" The nonchalance that Alexius had donned only a few moments ago had vanished and was replaced with an array of different emotions. Betrayal, bewilderment, disdain, and uneasiness were amongst them. I looked on as Dorian took long confident strides toward Alexius. I tuned out their confrontation, my ears perking up at the sound of bodies hitting the floor. Leliana's agents.

"You're finished here Alexius" The words had barely left my mouth when something that looked like -A fade rift?- opened up in the sky. I shouted for everyone to get back, but was cut off by the ripping and tearing of the rift. Before I could even attempt to close it I, and what looked like Dorian, were sucked in.

* * *

"Andraste's glorified ass, that hurt!" I said as I rubbed my not as glorified and slightly bruised ass. My eyes, which had been closed for the entirety of my ass rubbing, shot open at the sound of metal on metal or rather metal on magic. Bleary as my vision was, I could still see Dorian fighting off what seemed to be Venatori. A quick look around the room and I could tell that we were no longer in the main hall of the castle or perhaps we weren't in the castle at all.

"As handsome as I know I am, I would love for you to stop staring at my back and I don't know… help me!" Dorian cast a sidelong glance at me as he dodged yet another slash from a sword. I laughed at the man's ability to joke despite the situation and joined him. A quick parry and a stab to the throat and one of the venatori lay dead at our feet. The other one quickly followed after, tumbling to the ground atop the other. I quickly searched the Venatori's pockets smiling triumphantly when I found a key.

"So uh Dorian, what in the void is going on here?" I asked as I twirled the keys around my pointer finger. We were locked in a cell, a small pool of water mixed with blood forming at our feet, and the room was glowing an eerie red. Whispers could be heard emanating from the walls. Red lyrium no doubt. Clearly we were still within Redcliffe castle, but where, I had no idea.

"It seems as though we have entered some sort of alternate reality. The question is not where we are, but when. We were cast into the future. We must figure out what year it is and try to get back." Dorian rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked to the ceiling.

"Oh lovely. You try to outsmart a tevinter magister and he sends you into an alternate reality. Fuck." I sifted through the keys that I retrieved from the guard's body until I found one that fit the lock and opened the door. "Come on Dorian." The two of us walked out of our cell and throughout the castle -or what was left of it- until we came across a series of cells. Moans could be heard echoing throughout the room. One was masculine while the other two sounded much more feminine.

"Who goes there?" A voice yelled from the furthest cell.

"Vivienne, is that you? It's me, Alex." Dorian and I moved to the cell that contained what sounded like Vivienne. The woman inside was frail, looked as though she was malnourished, and was oozing some sort of red aura. Despite all of that she still seemed to give off an air of grace and confidence. It was definitely Vivienne.

"What sort of magic is this? I have nothing else to tell you and I would appreciate it if you'd stop mimicking someone that I once called a friend. Although you truly did capture her horrid fashion sense." I couldn't help but give into the smirk that was beginning to form on my face.

"Ah, and after everything we've been through you are still worried about my clothes. I am truly touched, Vivienne." She stiffened, turned a hard calculating gaze at me, and then smiled.

"It is you… but how did-" Vivienne began but was cut off by the clearing of the Iron Bull's throat. Flicking my gaze over to the source of the sound I found that Bull was standing upright in his cell smiling even though he was in the same ragged shape as Vivienne.

"As much as I'd love to hear the Boss's details about how she got here I still have a certain Vint whose face I need to fuck up." He said referring to Alexius. I nodded in agreement and after sifting through the keys I had picked up earlier the two were out of their cells. Just when we were about to leave, something that sounded a bit like a moan drew my attention to the farthest cell in the room. There, in the back of the cell was Fiona. She was encased in a mound of red lyrium. The lyrium looked as though it was slowly devouring her body. As much as I hated to admit it I knew that there was nothing I could do to save her. After speaking with her and learning that Dorian and I were sent an entire year into the future we knew that time was of the essence.

"Herald please… before you go. I can not die like this." Fiona gasped. Though barely audible I knew what she was asking. Unlocking her cell and pulling a dagger from my hip I slit Fiona's throat in one fluid motion. It was gruesome and I knew that my the image of her lifeless body would forever be etched into my mind, but I was happy to ease her pain. A soft, almost content smile resided over her face as her form became lifeless. Without looking back, I motioned for my group to continue on. No one, besides Dorian and his incessant ramblings, spoke while we fought our way through the castle. We moved in silence and fought with a fervor that would and could not dissipate until Alexius was dead.

"Did you hear that?" I asked as we rounded a corner in the castle. Voices could be heard coming from a nearby room and one of them seemed oddly familiar. I gestured for my group to be silent as I slowly opened the door. The room, or torture chamber, was filled with small torture blades and specks of someone's blood could be found dried on the floor. The room smelled of death and reminded me much of my days as an assassin. When my full body was within the room that is when I noticed Leliana. She was bound at the wrists and was hanging from the ceiling. No doubt, she was being pressed for information that she did not have.

"You will break!" The man who was torturing her screamed. He reached toward her with his knife in hand. A part of me lurched at the idea of the man laying a hand on her. Just when I had my throwing dagger aimed at his hand Leliana's head shot up, looking me directly in the eyes before quickly wrapping her legs around the man's neck.

"I would rather die first… or perhaps you will." In one fluid motion, the man's neck broke with a grisly snap, his body was now limp against the floor, and she was staring at me expectantly. "You're alive." She whispered as I began to unhook her from where she had been dangling.

"Leliana, you are safe now." I said once her feet were on the ground.

"Forget safe. If you came back from the dead you will need to do better than safe. You need to end this. Do you have weapons?"

"Yes. Are you… alright? I'm sorry that this happened to you." I wanted to say more, but found myself at a loss for words. Leliana was a shell of her former self. Her skin was a sickly gray and that faint teasing light that always surrounded her had gone out. This version of Leliana was hard and all parts of her from the past seemed to be gone. Her expression softened for a moment. Her hand came up to cup my cheek.

"I am fine. I am glad that you are alive, Alex." Upon hearing Dorian's voice her expression, along with her hand dropped again.

"You do not wish to know of how we got here? Dorian asked. You could tell that he was eager to recount the tale of how we ended up in this situation although, judging by Leliana's look of pure annoyance I knew that she did not care for the details.

"no." She answered, as she grabbed her bow and a quiver from a nearby table. She quickly checked around for arrows and once she was all set we were off again. With Leliana as our new addition to the team getting through the castle was much easier. We moved quickly and eventually we made it to the main chamber where Alexius stood before a fireplace with a sickly man at his side. Upon closer inspection I realized that the man was Felix and it looked as though he had contracted the blight. He was barely able to stand on his own and looked as though he was wilting much like rose.

"Ah, it's nice for you to finally join us. I should have known that I hadn't destroyed you… that was my final failure. Perhaps even the biggest." Alexius said as he turned to face me. His look of confidence that was almost always upon his face was no longer visible. This Alexius was pathetic and he too was a shell of his former self. He was pitiful so pitiful that I almost didn't want to kill him. Almost. "It is a shame that you have come on this day of all days. The Elder One is coming. He comes for us all." Before I had a chance to try and decipher his ramblings, Leliana, who I thought was at my side, was now standing next to Alexius with a dagger at Felix's throat. "Please, don't hurt him. I will do anything you ask." I looked from Gereon to Felix and back again. I knew that Felix was long gone and that he was no better off than Fiona was.

"Do it. Give him a merciful death." With that, Leliana slit his throat. Blood flowed freely from his open wound, making it an injury that was impossible to survive. Maker, though I am unsure if I believe in you or not, please take care of Felix. After Felix's body hit the floor Gereon unleashed a burst of magic so powerful that it knocked Leliana to the ground. Soon a battle ensued. Arrows flew, magic was hurled, and swords clashed. Shades began to appear out of nowhere to aid Alexius in his battle. Demons of all shapes and sizes came to his side making it even harder for us to beat him. Even with the help of his minions, he was quickly defeated. I snatched the amulet from his body and handed it to Dorian so that he could open the portal once more. "I'm sorry Dorian, this must be hard for you."

"It is fine. He was blinded by his own ambition. Let me try to get us back before this Elder One gets here." Just as Dorian says the words demons and Venatori can be heard trying to reach the main chamber. They were climbing the stairs and making their way to the door that Bull, Vivienne, and Leliana were trying to hold shut while we worked.

"Looks like this might be the end Boss." Bull said while watching the door. "We will hold them off while you make your escape."

"Do be good, dear and please work on that horrid fashion sense." Vivienne said. Before I could protest Bull and Vivienne had already swung the door open and were both on the other side. Bull's battlecry and an array of Vivienne's spells could be heard once it was closed again. Leliana came over to where Dorian and I were. Just then the portal opened up, but along with it the door swung open and in came a plethora of demons and venatori alike. I knew that Leliana was going to try some last minute heroic goodbye as well, but I couldn't… I couldn't let her. Dorian must have sensed my unease because he secured me in a grip that was almost viselike.

  
"Leliana, don't do it! Please!? I can't let her die!" I tried to pull away from Dorian's embrace, but after the fight with Alexius, could not. She came to me then, she looked forlorn, vulnerable even, and in that moment I knew that I truly did love her. She placed a weary hand upon my cheek and smiled. It was the first time since seeing her in this future that I saw even a shadow of her former self. She seemed so insanely human in this moment it was almost uncharacteristic. She leaned in then, placing a quick kiss on my lips. It was light, fleeting, but when she pulled away I could still feel the pressure of her lips on mine.

"Merde, Je t'aime trop." I did not understand it, but her words seemed to be laced with regret. A single tear slipped down her cheek before she was running to go join the others. I reached out to her one more time before letting my hand fall to my side. Dorian pushed me into the portal, but not before I saw an arrow fly into her shoulder and I heard a blood curdling scream escape her throat as she was held down and gutted by a terror demon.

* * *

 

"You. Fucking. Asshole." Before anyone had the nerve to stop me I was grabbing a fist full of Alexius's clothes and pulling him up from the floor to meet my eyes. Inquisition soldiers stood there unsure of whether they should intervene or not. Dorian, much to my satisfaction, shot them all a look that said, "I wouldn't stop her if I were you." I then brought my fist back as far as it would go and punched him square in the face. Something in his jaw cracked and I'd be lying if I said that the sound wasn't music to my ears. I was wearing gauntlets and they seemed to tear at his flesh when I hit him. Little flecks of blood and skin stuck to my hand. The sight was grisly yet satisfying in one. "You tried to send me to the future? What I fucking saw there I can't even begin to describe." I dropped him to the floor where Felix kneeled down to help him back to his feet. The soldiers then proceeded to apprehend him and if it weren't for how quickly they got the man out of my face I most likely would have hit him again. 

"Well, that sure was an interesting display." Leliana said from behind me. She said it teasingly although her voice had a deep undertone of concern. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" To anyone else hearing her voice would have been a relief. Knowing that your friend is not indeed dead should be a relief, but it just stirred up unwanted emotions inside of me. Her death played out numerous times in my head. I stared at her wordlessly, unsure of what to say or how to react before turning to Dorian. 

"Dorian, can we go now? I'll see the rest of you back at Haven. I just… I need to go." He nodded, wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and walked me out of the room. Bull, Vivienne, and Leliana stared after my retreating form with bemused expressions. With all of their deaths so fresh in my mind, I knew that after today I would have many many sleepless nights. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was fun. I missed this story a lot and I can't wait to continue. As always don't forget to comment and tell me what you thought of the chapter. I do not have a set schedule but you will be hearing from me very soon.


	7. Author's Note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while…

Hello everyone, it's been a long time. It's been about eight months to be exact :/ and for that I'm sorry but I assure you I will not let this story go unfished. I plan on releasing a chapter within the next week or so and I will continue to add to this story periodically. The next chapter will be, as Donald trump (I know he's disgusting) says, HUGE. It will be full of angst, drama, and blood. This next chapter will most likely play on your heart strings. As a way of lightening the mood I might release a little filler chapter afterwords. It will be something that is completely unrelated to the story but it'll be fun, light hearted, and full of fluff. It will most likely be a Halloween chapter. It will be my way of saying thank you for not giving up on the story and I. So stay tuned! And as always, thank you for the kudos and for all of the comments. They are always appreciated :) thanks again!


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